Codex Irlym
Hands of Gold are always Cold or the Codex Irlym, ''is the handbook for those paladins and inquisitors of the god Bahamut that have devoted themselves to the eradication of the cult of Tiamat. The text is written usually in common and draconic, but like its opposite religious text ''For we are Mere Maggots, ''the text appears around the world in various translations. Content The text details various techniques to identify the works of cultists of Tiamat in the world intended to be used by an individual travelling alone or with a small group of like-minded individuals. It instructs the reader to avoid getting entangled in the affairs of others unless it aids the cause of rooting out the evils of Tiamat in the long term. The text frames the conflict as a war between Bahamut and Tiamat believing that the two can never coexist which contradicts some of the accepted canon of the Church of Bahamut which promotes a potential for reconciliation and offering the chance for repentance to those that worship the Dragon Queen. A examples of instructions it offers include: ''When you enter a community do not consider yourself a guest, but do not be uncivil. You are there to rout out the soldiers of the enemy which may be the very folk that surround you, the woman that offers you a drink at the tavern may be a agent of the Dragon Queen hoping to slip you a drop of poison, as is their way. '' ''Respect the laws of the land, though if they hinder your ability to hunt the enemy do not hesitate in casting them aside, but in all other instances comply with them. Use by Followers of Bahamut The followers of Bahamut that utilise this text are mainly those that have adopted a lifestyle of a travelling paladin or perhaps operate alongside or through other churches of similar faiths such as Pelor or Moradin, though most good aligned and lawful communities will welcome such people into their community as heroes. Perhaps one of the strangest things about the handbook is its use as a divine focus, one can channel energy through the text to deliver their god's power. However, some have noted that the divine aura that these texts bare is not the same as those artefacts known to be related to Bahamut, leaving many to believe that there is some other divine force at work in their make up, though Bahamut seems to have no issue with his followers using this text. The text is found in the city of Okarthel but is seldom practised due to the diverging religious outlook on the relationship between the two gods found in the city. Some have begun printing more of the text through presses or by magic, these newer copies take around a year of handling by a worshipper of Bahamut to become divine foci, though depending on the faith of the individual this time can vary. Theories on its Creator A number of theories have emerged on who the creator if the text was, with copies being found dating from over three thousand years ago that are exactly the same as the current versions of the text, it would stand that whatever organisation that create these books has existed in secret for longer than any state has existed on Tolas. One theory holds that it was written by a gold dragon that entrusted its continued transmission through the generations to a cohort of other dragons which their descendants carrying on the duty, though if such a secret organisation existed surely they themselves would participate more fully in the perceived 'war' with Tiamat that their faith is waging. Additionally, none of the dragon leaders of Okarthel have admitted to having any knowledge of an international organisation of metallic dragons, though whether this is them lying to protect knowledge of their own membership or whether they are simply ignorant of such a secret is also a possibility. Another theory states that the books themselves contain an aspect of Bahamut's divinity that is tempered through the text's message becoming a mild distortion of his original message though still carrying out his will. Category:In-World Concepts